1 000:25,683 --> 00:00:28,481 In the news, police have moved in on the headquarters 2 00:00:28,482 --> 00:00:35,662 of the radical group MOVE delivering an eviction order. 3 00:00:35,663 --> 00:00:38,311 In the vicinity of the MOVE house in West Philladelphia 4 00:00:38,312 --> 00:00:42,000 about a hour ago a police helicopter was seen making a low pass 5 00:00:42,001 --> 00:00:46,634 over the area, and at the same time police at the scene were holding their ears. 6 00:00:46,635 --> 00:00:53,989 The police had evidently been warned that there would be a loud explosion. 7 00:00:53,990 --> 00:00:58,111 Jim, it has been five and a half hours now since that incendiary device was dropped 8 00:00:58,112 --> 00:01:01,400 out of a helicopter and it rages on. 9 00:01:01,401 --> 00:01:04,666 There must have been a better way, its a dissaster, Jim. 10 00:01:24,777 --> 00:01:28,814 . 11 00:01:36,777 --> 00:01:41,877 The Move Organization surfaced in Philadelphia during the early 1970s. 12 00:01:41,878 --> 00:01:47,993 Characterized by dreadlock hair, the adopted surname Africa, a principled unity, 13 00:01:47,994 --> 00:01:51,566 and an uncompromizing commitment to their belief, 14 00:01:51,567 --> 00:01:56,528 members practiced the teachings of the MOVE founder, John Africa. 15 00:01:56,529 --> 00:02:02,000 The basic teachings of John Africa is, you know, to protectlife, you know, of the enslavement of this system. 16 00:02:02,001 --> 00:02:06,607 You know, which means all life, which means animals, to protect the animals 17 00:02:06,608 --> 00:02:11,250 from the encagement of zoos, which means protecting political prisoners 18 00:02:11,251 --> 00:02:14,673 from being locked up in prison. You know thats our work. 19 00:02:14,674 --> 00:02:17,777 Our work is to free life of the enslavement of this system. 20 00:02:17,778 --> 00:02:21,355 Now when people think of this system, they don't think of an organization 21 00:02:21,356 --> 00:02:24,973 that they supposed to be fighting, they think of a system of some ficticious character 22 00:02:24,974 --> 00:02:28,000 that nobody really sees, nobody really knows who it is, right. 23 00:02:28,001 --> 00:02:30,300 But the system is all around us. It's everywhere. 24 00:02:30,301 --> 00:02:33,393 It's in your churches, it is your schools. It's everywhere. 25 00:02:33,394 --> 00:02:36,723 It's up here, it's in your mind, it's in my mind, it's in all of our minds, 26 00:02:36,724 --> 00:02:41,000 because we have come in contact with the system and we are imposed on by that disease. 27 00:02:41,001 --> 00:02:43,644 MOVE Organization target is gettin rid of this system. 28 00:02:43,645 --> 00:02:48,000 I am not sure how long is it gona take for that to happen. 29 00:02:48,001 --> 00:02:51,833 You know it's not gona happen over night. You know thats the MOVE goal, 30 00:02:51,834 --> 00:02:55,333 to get rid of this system. You know, like I said, to free life from this systems enslavement. 31 00:02:55,334 --> 00:03:02,000 Revolution to us is not a bloody battle against the oppressors. 32 00:03:02,001 --> 00:03:06,933 Revolution to us means generation, it means to move forward. 33 00:03:06,934 --> 00:03:11,966 As long as you are not compromising and you are going forward 34 00:03:11,967 --> 00:03:18,561 then you are victorious. You are only defeated, when you stop fighting, 35 00:03:18,562 --> 00:03:22,624 when you give up, and that is what MOVE understands. 36 00:03:22,625 --> 00:03:30,671 And it is that single principle, that is defeating this system. 37 00:03:58,000 --> 00:04:04,900 During the early 1970s MOVE was based in Powelton Village section in West Philladelphia. 38 00:04:04,901 --> 00:04:09,420 They purchased a large victorian house on 309 North 33rd Street. 39 00:04:09,421 --> 00:04:11,900 Which became their headquarters. 40 00:04:11,901 --> 00:04:17,750 Members valued the personal discipline, and the physical strength derived from hard manual labour. 41 00:04:17,751 --> 00:04:22,679 And maintained a hefty work schedule of daily activities, such as exercising, 42 00:04:22,680 --> 00:04:25,011 running dogs and choping firewood. 43 00:04:25,012 --> 00:04:29,111 They renovateted a lot of houses in this neighborhood, you know, 44 00:04:29,112 --> 00:04:36,374 before they formed the organization. But how that organization came about is it started in Pearl Steet 45 00:04:36,375 --> 00:04:42,000 in his house and a few people came and then a few more. Then the next thing is 46 00:04:42,001 --> 00:04:48,499 they were washing cars, then they were demonstrating against cruelty to animals. 47 00:04:48,500 --> 00:04:56,900 We used to demonstrate against Puppy Palaces, and any stores that used to sell life 48 00:04:56,901 --> 00:05:02,000 for exploitation, you know, just for capital gain. 49 00:05:02,001 --> 00:05:05,934 We were demonstrating against police brutality, we were demonstrating against the pet stores 50 00:05:05,935 --> 00:05:10,000 and the zoos about their treatment or mistreatment of the animals. 51 00:05:10,001 --> 00:05:15,951 We were doing some work with the neibourghood gangs, in terms of, you know, 52 00:05:15,952 --> 00:05:19,515 Settling some of the disputes they had out there, 53 00:05:19,516 --> 00:05:21,711 you know, and most our work was, 54 00:05:21,712 --> 00:05:25,260 you know, the liberation of animals and the liberation of people. 55 00:05:25,261 --> 00:05:29,376 These are the things that was never ever talked about. 56 00:05:29,377 --> 00:05:32,317 You know, in the early days, that MOVE was engaged with. 57 00:05:32,318 --> 00:05:38,500 Very productive things, things that are very popular now, things that are very accepted now. 58 00:05:38,501 --> 00:05:42,111 You even have the Green Party, an environmental party that runs on this. 59 00:05:42,112 --> 00:05:47,799 But this was nothing, that was ever focused on about the MOVE organization. 60 00:05:53,111 --> 00:05:58,482 Throughout the 1970s, Frank Rizzo was the premier figure in the Philladelphia government. 61 00:05:58,483 --> 00:06:03,988 He started as a street cop and rose through the ranks. Eventually serving as police commisioner. 62 00:06:03,989 --> 00:06:10,410 From 1967 to 1971. During this time Rizzo gained notoriety. 63 00:06:10,411 --> 00:06:15,288 For his tough guy, law enforcement tactics and racist attitude. 64 00:06:15,289 --> 00:06:20,281 Capitalizing on his name and recognition and tough on crime image 65 00:06:20,282 --> 00:06:27,555 Rizzo mobilized sufficient voters to be elected mayor of the city for two terms from 1972 until 1980. 66 00:06:27,556 --> 00:06:32,788 Throughout Rizzos time as police commisioner and mayor, the philladelphia police 67 00:06:32,789 --> 00:06:36,888 were nationally known for their brutality. 68 00:06:38,477 --> 00:06:41,492 This police department in Philadelphia could invade Cuba and win. 69 00:06:41,493 --> 00:06:51,000 What I am saying, Tom Snyder is, that we are now trained and equiped to fight wars. 70 00:06:57,500 --> 00:07:02,144 Is it possible when the police on the beat hear Rizzo say to the Italians, break their heads. 71 00:07:02,145 --> 00:07:04,000 He says, "Hey I can break their heads". 72 00:07:04,001 --> 00:07:05,888 Break their heads is right. 73 00:07:05,889 --> 00:07:09,500 If they try to break yours, you break theirs first. 74 00:07:09,501 --> 00:07:15,900 The ones responsible, get that death penalty back and put them in the electric chair and I'll pull the switch. 75 00:07:15,901 --> 00:07:17,851 That's when I'm sure they'll not be around. 76 00:07:30,000 --> 00:07:36,130 I mean, there is a kind of ruthlesness in this society, that I think that MOVE is adressing. 77 00:07:36,131 --> 00:07:40,533 In fact they were victims of that ruthlessness. But that was their key issue. 78 00:07:40,534 --> 00:07:43,526 The key issue was police brutality. It was a legitimate issue. 79 00:07:43,527 --> 00:07:49,225 So they can kill everybody in this house and justify it by public opinion. 80 00:07:49,226 --> 00:07:54,899 We want everybody to understand that we will not back down from Rizzo. 81 00:07:54,900 --> 00:07:58,338 MOVE had a good cause, they had good things, good issues and so forth, 82 00:07:58,339 --> 00:08:04,150 but the way they conducted themselves in the public arena was questionable. 83 00:08:04,151 --> 00:08:10,459 As a result of MOVEs demonstration strategy, MOVE members were arrested on a regular basis. 84 00:08:10,460 --> 00:08:15,381 Confrontation started with the authority, and then it wind up that we was going into court 85 00:08:15,382 --> 00:08:20,111 and then the confrontation started with the courts and the judges and it just snowballed 86 00:08:20,112 --> 00:08:26,000 into one confrontation after other against the system. 87 00:08:26,001 --> 00:08:30,059 You have to understand, that the MOVE organization, it challenged the authority and the jurisdiction 88 00:08:30,060 --> 00:08:33,194 of every courtroom, that any MOVE member ever stepped in. 89 00:08:33,195 --> 00:08:38,891 And they challengend it, vigorously, they challenged it from the outside, so the 90 00:08:38,892 --> 00:08:44,795 power of the court to hear that case, whatever that case might have been, was always challenged by MOVE. 91 00:08:44,796 --> 00:08:48,620 You don't have the authority, you don't have the power, to hear this case. 92 00:08:48,621 --> 00:08:54,280 And it was really a very powerfull challenge to the power of the state inside the courtroom. 93 00:08:54,281 --> 00:08:58,325 MOVE never let the threat of being arrested stop their demostrations, 94 00:08:58,326 --> 00:09:05,000 yet events soon proved, that police harrasment wasn't limited to just demonstrations. 95 00:09:05,001 --> 00:09:08,964 On our way they stopped us, and just started harrasing us 96 00:09:08,965 --> 00:09:12,087 and they just grabbed us both, both of us were pregnant, obviously pregnant. 97 00:09:12,088 --> 00:09:16,000 And they grabbed us, and slammed us against the paddy wagon and arrested us 98 00:09:16,001 --> 00:09:18,863 and put us in handcufs and took us to the station. 99 00:09:18,864 --> 00:09:24,567 We were obviously gettin arrested, they were like trying to break our arms, like tryin' really to messin us up. 100 00:09:24,568 --> 00:09:32,200 They handcuffed us, put us in the paddy wagon and took us to, I think 55 district. 101 00:09:32,201 --> 00:09:35,300 Anyway, when they got us there, they handcuffed us to wooden chairs, 102 00:09:35,301 --> 00:09:39,643 knowing that me and LeeSing were pregnant, they wouldn't let us go to the bathroom, 103 00:09:39,644 --> 00:09:42,986 wouldn't let us make phonecalls and didn't give us anything to eat. 104 00:09:42,987 --> 00:09:46,700 As a result of that, both of us suffered miscariages. 105 00:09:46,701 --> 00:09:54,111 On march 28th 1976 seven jailed MOVE members were released from jail late in the evening. 106 00:09:54,112 --> 00:09:59,666 Some of our family was being released from prison and as usual, you know, we greet them. 107 00:09:59,667 --> 00:10:06,410 And it was like two in the morning, and it was just us out and it wasn't really loud, 108 00:10:06,411 --> 00:10:10,127 it was just family greetin family, and all of a sudden, this cop cars pull up, 109 00:10:10,128 --> 00:10:17,048 with no lights, no nothing, it just pull up on the street and the cop car stops in front of the house 110 00:10:17,049 --> 00:10:22,580 and the cop comes over and he says that he had a report that there was a disturbance, 111 00:10:22,581 --> 00:10:28,111 a fight going on, so Chucky told them, that theres no fight, just MOVE people 112 00:10:28,112 --> 00:10:30,799 were greetin' our family home from prison, so go ahead, there's no problem. 113 00:10:30,800 --> 00:10:35,031 When he said that, they all come out the cars and rush over the street 114 00:10:35,032 --> 00:10:38,419 and where we were at, and they just start swinging their black jacks. 115 00:10:38,420 --> 00:10:44,232 I was standing in front of my husband Phill Africa and the cop, to get to Phill, 116 00:10:44,233 --> 00:10:50,642 he just took me and slammed me on the ground. I had my three week old son in my arms 117 00:10:50,643 --> 00:10:54,900 and when he slammed me down, he just stomped over me, to get to Phill, 118 00:10:54,901 --> 00:11:01,800 and I don't know how, but the babys head was crushed, and I just was so upset, 119 00:11:01,801 --> 00:11:03,936 I jumped up and run back to the house. 120 00:11:03,937 --> 00:11:09,957 I don't know, I must have been in shock, because my family just found me in the house holding the baby. 121 00:11:09,958 --> 00:11:11,822 And the baby had died. 122 00:11:11,823 --> 00:11:16,823 MOVE immediately contacted the media, to report the death of Life Africa. 123 00:11:16,824 --> 00:11:23,008 And displayied a police hat and a broken night stick outside of their headquarters. 124 00:11:23,009 --> 00:11:27,764 To prove the death to a skeptical media, MOVE invited press and politicians 125 00:11:27,765 --> 00:11:32,879 over to their headquarters to show them the body of Life Africa. 126 00:11:32,880 --> 00:11:42,510 And I was invited on one friday evening, a cold blustering winter evening, 127 00:11:42,511 --> 00:11:49,312 when they invited people in to see the dead baby, and I actually sat in front of the house for an hour, 128 00:11:49,313 --> 00:11:53,072 debating whether I will go in or not, and in the end I opted not to go, 129 00:11:53,073 --> 00:11:57,575 but no, I didn't see the assault itself, but I did talk to people who did see it, 130 00:11:57,576 --> 00:12:03,269 eyewitnesses other than MOVE, and they did say, that there was a MOVE woman with a baby, 131 00:12:03,270 --> 00:12:09,270 who was, you know, wailing on the police, just like the police was wailing on them. 132 00:12:09,271 --> 00:12:15,100 And they did see the baby knocked down and they did see a police officer step on the baby. 133 00:12:15,101 --> 00:12:18,757 MOVE then brought the case to court, and many neighbors were willing to testify 134 00:12:18,758 --> 00:12:24,373 that they witnessed the attack on MOVE and the death of Life Africa. 135 00:12:24,374 --> 00:12:29,957 But before all the testimony could be heard, judge Merna Marshall dismissed the case. 136 00:12:29,958 --> 00:12:37,696 Because MOVE did not go, they did their own birth in house, and they didn't register their children 137 00:12:37,697 --> 00:12:46,873 with the authorities, and then they ordered MOVE to produce the corpse of the kid, 138 00:12:46,874 --> 00:12:52,552 so they could do an authopsy to determine the cause of death. And MOVE contended that, 139 00:12:52,553 --> 00:13:01,700 that type of an act was invariance, and actually in violation of their religious practices. 140 00:13:01,701 --> 00:13:07,222 They didn't go in for authopsys. So because, you know, the bottom line is, because 141 00:13:07,223 --> 00:13:12,975 MOVE did not produce the baby, the city refused to do an investigation. 142 00:13:12,976 --> 00:13:16,479 And thats both the police department and the district attorneys office, 143 00:13:16,480 --> 00:13:18,786 who at the time was headed by Ed Rendelll. 144 00:13:18,787 --> 00:13:23,624 After the death of Life Africa, MOVE was convinced, the city was trying to terminate MOVE. 145 00:13:23,625 --> 00:13:26,618 The organization felt compelled to arm themselves. 146 00:13:26,619 --> 00:13:33,824 On May 20th 1977, MOVE set up a platform outside their headquarters and begun demonstrating. 147 00:13:33,825 --> 00:13:37,777 The MOVE members stood on the platform, demanding the release of MOVE prisoners, 148 00:13:37,778 --> 00:13:43,700 and demanded an end to the violant city campaign of harrasment against MOVE. 149 00:13:43,701 --> 00:13:49,100 Due to the demonstration on May 20th 1977, judge Lynn Abraham issued 150 00:13:49,101 --> 00:14:00,000 warrants for all 11 MOVE members on charges of riot and possession of an instrument of crime. 151 00:14:05,400 --> 00:14:13,335 And finaly we just decided as an organization to take a possition on that platform, 152 00:14:13,336 --> 00:14:22,629 and let these people know, that if they came at us with whatever, with fists, with clubs, with guns, 153 00:14:22,630 --> 00:14:26,745 with whatever, then we would meet them on equal terms. 154 00:14:26,746 --> 00:14:29,111 And thats how the confrontation started. 155 00:14:29,112 --> 00:14:33,356 Rizzo filed in court to set up a starvation blocade around MOVE headquarters. 156 00:14:33,357 --> 00:14:35,699 The courts approved his request. 157 00:14:35,700 --> 00:14:40,617 On March 16th 1978, hundreds of cops set up barricades around MOVE headquarters 158 00:14:40,618 --> 00:14:44,023 and shut off their water to starve MOVE out. 159 00:14:44,024 --> 00:14:52,444 On April 04th 1978 thousands marched round city hall in protest of the citys actions. 160 00:14:52,445 --> 00:14:58,257 What MOVE wanted was to be left alone, they wanted the right to excersise 161 00:14:58,258 --> 00:15:04,641 the 1st, 2nd and 4th ammendment rights and they had 5 or 6 of their members 162 00:15:04,642 --> 00:15:09,666 that were in prison. They wanted those folks released from prison. 163 00:15:09,667 --> 00:15:14,632 And the negotiation went on, and back and forth almost a year. 164 00:15:14,633 --> 00:15:18,397 The city wanted MOVE to vacate. 165 00:15:18,398 --> 00:15:26,444 "GET OUT OR DIE!" 166 00:15:27,500 --> 00:15:32,381 During the time the arrest warants for MOVE were given in 1977 up until almost a year later, 167 00:15:32,382 --> 00:15:37,127 many negotiators tried to resolve the problem between MOVE and the city. 168 00:15:37,128 --> 00:15:43,144 Some people we're told, Quakers or something, offered them some land out there in Chester County. 169 00:15:43,145 --> 00:15:49,664 so I asked John Africa, why wouldn't they move out, you know. 170 00:15:49,665 --> 00:15:56,276 And his anwwer was, why don't the city move. And they said that's crazy. And I said but that's his answer. 171 00:15:56,277 --> 00:16:00,546 Why is it crazy? He is here and he is satisfied where he is, you know, 172 00:16:00,547 --> 00:16:03,365 and I thought he is said, why dont the city move? 173 00:16:03,366 --> 00:16:07,239 Finaly MOVE was met with an offer they couldn't refuse. 174 00:16:07,240 --> 00:16:10,339 All MOVE prisoners were released on May 8th, 175 00:16:10,340 --> 00:16:14,700 and the city agreed to drop all charges that faced MOVE. 176 00:16:14,701 --> 00:16:19,219 In the agreement the city was allowed to search MOVE headquarters for weapons and explosives. 177 00:16:19,220 --> 00:16:24,363 While searching MOVE headquarters, the city only found inopperable weapons, 178 00:16:24,364 --> 00:16:28,274 dummy firearms and road flares. 179 00:16:28,275 --> 00:16:31,233 After the city realized, that MOVE had no real firearms, 180 00:16:31,234 --> 00:16:35,600 MOVE claimed that the city begun twisting parts of their agreement. 181 00:16:35,601 --> 00:16:40,156 The main point that was disputed between MOVE and the city was the 90 day agreement. 182 00:16:40,157 --> 00:16:43,951 MOVE claimed that they agreed to the city finding them a new home, 183 00:16:43,952 --> 00:16:47,265 within a 90 day working time table. 184 00:16:47,266 --> 00:16:52,900 The city claimed that the 90 day agreement was a deadline, where MOVE must leave their house, 185 00:16:52,901 --> 00:16:58,269 or be evicted by the city. 186 00:17:03,111 --> 00:17:07,588 I think that the perception was that MOVE would leave, but I must be honest and tell you, 187 00:17:07,589 --> 00:17:15,559 that it may not have been as clear as that, or clearly stated as that, which left the window of opportunity 188 00:17:15,560 --> 00:17:22,555 for either side to, you know, make claims. 189 00:17:22,556 --> 00:17:26,300 Yes, he said "we will drag them out by the scruff of their necks." He answered that question. 190 00:17:26,301 --> 00:17:32,444 Did you ask him "What if they resist the scruff of the neck", did you make him go down in detail to say: 191 00:17:32,445 --> 00:17:35,933 "Oh yeah, if they resist, I'm gona kill them. " Did you make him put out his intentions? 192 00:17:35,934 --> 00:17:40,327 No. No you never question Rizzo. And Rizzo is questionable. 193 00:17:40,328 --> 00:17:44,399 that man aint told the truth since he got in office. That man aint been agreeable since 194 00:17:44,400 --> 00:17:49,000 he got the name mayor. We're saying it's about time that y'all start putting out the truth. 195 00:17:49,001 --> 00:17:52,652 Don't question the person, who is tellin' the truth, question the person who is tellin' the lie. 196 00:17:52,653 --> 00:17:58,000 We're saying we ain't talking about hurting nobody's religion, we ain't talking about killing off nobody's religion 197 00:17:58,001 --> 00:18:03,039 Rizzo is talking by religion persecution. He is talking about putting us in a gas oven, 198 00:18:03,040 --> 00:18:08,185 he is talking about killing our babys, genocide like they did to Indians, like they did to jews. 199 00:18:08,186 --> 00:18:13,119 We're sayin that it's about time that the news media start questioning Rizzos reference. 200 00:18:13,120 --> 00:18:19,134 Neighbors complained about MOVE collecting stray dogs, 201 00:18:19,135 --> 00:18:24,463 and walking the dogs through the neighborhood in various hours of the night. 202 00:18:24,464 --> 00:18:30,519 They complained about the compost MOVE had built in their yard. 203 00:18:30,520 --> 00:18:34,877 So this is first of all a sympathetic neighbourhood, then none the less there was an antagonism 204 00:18:34,878 --> 00:18:37,555 between MOVE and its neighbous, that was real. 205 00:18:37,556 --> 00:18:42,140 And then I think, that the other piece was, that MOVE in terms of their message, 206 00:18:42,141 --> 00:18:46,200 MOVE would not only take its message to the street, but would have a loud speaker system on its home. 207 00:18:46,201 --> 00:18:54,000 MOVE was also very in your face from the get go, and that's legitimate, but theres a certain point 208 00:18:54,001 --> 00:18:59,355 where the law starts saying that foul language publicly is against the law. 209 00:18:59,356 --> 00:19:03,754 And the occupation of the building was also against the law. 210 00:19:03,755 --> 00:19:06,287 So there is just provisions for that. 211 00:19:06,288 --> 00:19:12,374 On August 2nd 1978 judge Fred Dibona ruled that MOVE had disregarded the 90 day deadline, 212 00:19:12,375 --> 00:19:15,057 and that they should have vacated the house. 213 00:19:15,058 --> 00:19:18,580 During this hearing, Dibona gave the city the power to arrest basically 214 00:19:18,581 --> 00:19:23,355 all known adult MOVE members, including members that weren't in the house, 215 00:19:23,356 --> 00:19:28,984 On August 8th 1978, hundreds of cops in flack jackets and riot helmets, 216 00:19:28,985 --> 00:19:33,119 surrounded MOVE headquarters to carry out judge Dibonas ruling. 217 00:19:33,120 --> 00:19:39,835 They came on August 8th, you know, with buldozers, tanks, and antipersonel carriers 218 00:19:39,836 --> 00:19:42,144 you know they assaulted us. 219 00:19:42,145 --> 00:19:46,381 45 police then entered the MOVE household and searched all 3 floors of the house, 220 00:19:46,382 --> 00:19:49,898 only to find MOVE barricaded in the basement. 221 00:19:49,899 --> 00:19:52,956 Around 8 a. m. firemen pried off the boarded windows of the basement 222 00:19:52,957 --> 00:19:55,594 and start to flood the basement with water canons. 223 00:19:55,595 --> 00:20:00,655 25 hundred gallons of water per minute or something like that, you know, 224 00:20:00,656 --> 00:20:04,000 its just too much for anybody to stand up. 225 00:20:04,001 --> 00:20:06,727 The water that was coming into the basement was so strong, 226 00:20:06,728 --> 00:20:11,700 it was takin the bricks out of the wall, first it was takin the paint of, that was busting on it, 227 00:20:11,701 --> 00:20:13,390 and then it was takin the bricks off the wall. 228 00:20:13,391 --> 00:20:20,700 It was a consensus by a majority of the people there, that the shot was fired from up the street. 229 00:20:20,701 --> 00:20:25,751 And I heard a shot, what sounded like a shot, from the left and behind me, 230 00:20:25,752 --> 00:20:30,444 near Pearl Street, and I immediately dropped to the ground. 231 00:20:30,445 --> 00:20:34,044 Because I just assumed all hell was gona break loose. 232 00:20:34,045 --> 00:20:40,233 Theres lots of shots being fired, the shots don't seem real, thats whats funny. 233 00:20:40,234 --> 00:20:41,555 Its just doesn't seem real. 234 00:20:41,556 --> 00:20:46,580 The police started shooting in, they started shooting teargas into the property 235 00:20:46,581 --> 00:20:51,400 there was allegations, that MOVE was in the basement shooting out. 236 00:20:51,401 --> 00:20:55,703 After a short period of shooting, officer James Ramp was found fataly wounded. 237 00:20:55,704 --> 00:20:59,831 After exiting the house all 12 MOVE adults were arrested, 238 00:20:59,832 --> 00:21:03,956 and the 11 MOVE children in the house were takin' away from their parents by the police. 239 00:21:03,957 --> 00:21:09,068 Litle by litle, I think, the women came out first, women with the babys. 240 00:21:09,069 --> 00:21:14,011 But then I see Chucky Africa comes out and he is shot, he is shot in his shoulder, 241 00:21:14,012 --> 00:21:19,899 and I'm rushin to go to him, as a cop takes a gun and puts it to his head, and pulls back the hammer 242 00:21:19,900 --> 00:21:25,900 and I said whoouu, what are you doing here. 243 00:21:25,901 --> 00:21:29,851 There had been much concern on the part of many people, that the police would make 244 00:21:29,852 --> 00:21:32,060 a violent assault on the MOVE members. 245 00:21:32,061 --> 00:21:36,243 As it turned out the police acted with precision and restraint. 246 00:21:36,244 --> 00:21:40,431 Unfortunately for the police, the beating of Delbert Africa was caught on camera. 247 00:21:40,432 --> 00:21:48,877 I had went to exit the basement, after a cop stuck his gun in the window, and as plainly seen 248 00:21:48,878 --> 00:21:55,128 later on a police video tape, and he told me, "bring your black ass out here" 249 00:21:55,129 --> 00:21:59,975 and I said, "I'm going out the front." "Come out this way or I'll blow your damn head off" 250 00:21:59,976 --> 00:22:10,707 Obviously I came out that way, and the next thing I remember being dragged across Pearl Street 251 00:22:10,708 --> 00:22:14,399 by my hair, by some cop, I don't know who. 252 00:22:14,400 --> 00:22:21,566 And then when they dragged me, got me up on the curve, then a bunch of them just started kickin'. 253 00:22:21,567 --> 00:22:26,437 Geist, Mulvihill and Zagamy were all brought up on charges of police brutality. 254 00:22:26,438 --> 00:22:32,833 After a few years later judge Stanley Kubacki dismissed the case. 255 00:22:32,834 --> 00:22:37,444 Only two days ago, three of the officers charged in the beating surrendered to assault charges. 256 00:22:37,445 --> 00:22:46,222 That sparked a protest by 500 fellow officers, pointing out they also wear blue. 257 00:22:46,223 --> 00:22:50,932 And the head of the police union, gave his thoughts on those who beat Delbert Africa. 258 00:22:50,933 --> 00:22:59,070 "What they should have done, is shot that goddamned bum. And then it would have been no trouble today. " 259 00:22:59,071 --> 00:23:04,726 Immediately after the August 8th incident the police claimed that MOVE fired the first shot, 260 00:23:04,727 --> 00:23:06,483 from the MOVE headquarters. 261 00:23:06,484 --> 00:23:10,390 But they didn't have any proof that anybody shot out of the MOVE house. 262 00:23:10,391 --> 00:23:13,000 But somebody shot and people started shooting. 263 00:23:13,001 --> 00:23:16,262 Television news reporters Richard Maloney and Larry Rosen claimed, 264 00:23:16,263 --> 00:23:20,000 that they recalled hearing a shot on the opposite side of the street. 265 00:23:20,001 --> 00:23:24,322 It was my recollection that the shot came from behind, because when the shot was fired, 266 00:23:24,323 --> 00:23:31,784 everybody turned this way, so they turned their focus away from the windows 267 00:23:31,785 --> 00:23:34,771 where the armed MOVE members were, the basement windows, 268 00:23:34,772 --> 00:23:36,500 where the armed MOVE members were. 269 00:23:36,501 --> 00:23:42,200 A number of independent observers, those with the police as well as those not with the police 270 00:23:42,201 --> 00:23:50,273 and journalists and others have contended that the first shot came from behind 271 00:23:50,274 --> 00:23:58,000 the assembled police officers and not, and not out of the basement of the MOVE compound. 272 00:23:58,001 --> 00:24:07,727 The August 8th newspaper, this was like not even hours after the police attack on MOVE 273 00:24:07,728 --> 00:24:12,644 and MOVE people being arrested. Frontpage of the Philadelphia Daily News 274 00:24:12,645 --> 00:24:16,148 "Oh my god - They shot a cop!" 275 00:24:16,149 --> 00:24:24,754 Who shot a cop? You know, I mean, there had been no trial, MOVE people hadn't even been procesed 276 00:24:24,755 --> 00:24:30,565 on charges yet and the news media on the frontpage of the newspaper 277 00:24:30,566 --> 00:24:34,488 had them tried and convicted. "Oh my god - They shot a cop!" 278 00:24:34,489 --> 00:24:40,307 At every step of the way, including the final act today, the police used comendable restraint 279 00:24:40,308 --> 00:24:46,545 and it was done for many reasons, most of all because of the children, that were present today. 280 00:24:46,546 --> 00:24:50,515 And the police probably would have been legaly within their rights 281 00:24:50,516 --> 00:24:54,070 to have subsequent to the shooting of officer Ramp stormed the house 282 00:24:54,071 --> 00:24:57,140 and killed all of the 12 people in that basement. 283 00:24:57,141 --> 00:25:06,397 On May 8th 1980 after 67 days of trial, judge Edwin Melmed found Janine, Janet, Debbie, Merl, 284 00:25:06,398 --> 00:25:12,285 Chuck, Delbert, Mike, Edward and Phill Africa guilty of third degree murder, conspiracy 285 00:25:12,286 --> 00:25:19,400 and multiple counts of attempted murder and agrevated assault. They are now known as the MOVE 9. 286 00:25:19,401 --> 00:25:24,460 Each defendant received a sentence of 30 to a 100 years. 287 00:25:24,461 --> 00:25:27,000 Look at this case, and the facts in this case. 288 00:25:27,001 --> 00:25:34,286 There is no evidence, that there was a conspiracy, to kill the cop, to kill the police officer. 289 00:25:34,287 --> 00:25:37,888 There is no evidence of that. The evidence, that was put on at the trial, was 290 00:25:37,889 --> 00:25:44,450 that there were individauls seen at the windows with weapons, firing those weapons. 291 00:25:44,451 --> 00:25:49,963 Thats what the police officers testified to, and they identified those individuals. 292 00:25:49,964 --> 00:25:54,000 However, the whole theory of the prosecution, was that there was a conspiracy, 293 00:25:54,001 --> 00:25:59,700 and again, because back to that original bizarre theory, which is that there was a conspiracy 294 00:25:59,701 --> 00:26:05,250 that began 15, 16, 18 months before, and traveled all the way through, based on words 295 00:26:05,251 --> 00:26:09,111 that were said on the porch, allegedly said on the porch by MOVE memebers, 296 00:26:09,112 --> 00:26:12,405 about what they would do to protect themselves. And as a consequence, 297 00:26:12,406 --> 00:26:18,531 the judge bought into that theory, so his position was, you are goin to trial as a group, 298 00:26:18,532 --> 00:26:21,779 you are gona get convicted as a group, you are gona be sentenced as a group. 299 00:26:21,780 --> 00:26:27,542 Essentially ignoring all the important constitutional safeguards, that each individual 300 00:26:27,543 --> 00:26:32,282 should be tried on the facts, as it applies to each individual, and each individual should be sentenced 301 00:26:32,283 --> 00:26:38,218 based on individual sentencing factors and not sentenced en mas as a group, based on association, 302 00:26:38,219 --> 00:26:42,712 or based on this ridiculous, ridiculous notion of conspiracy. 303 00:26:42,713 --> 00:26:47,585 The testimony said, for example, that the bullet came into the left side and went across the body 304 00:26:47,586 --> 00:26:52,095 to the right and down. The report said it comes into the right side and goes..., 305 00:26:52,096 --> 00:27:00,767 so you got a big problem with the authenticity and thus validity of the medical examiners report. 306 00:27:00,768 --> 00:27:07,661 The prosecutor took out a pencil and erased items in that report, that he didn't like, and wrote it in, 307 00:27:07,662 --> 00:27:11,828 right there in open court. Now MOVE is objecting, you know, "Objection, objection", 308 00:27:11,829 --> 00:27:17,533 and the judge said, sit down, shut up, you know, and allowed the guy to do that. 309 00:27:17,534 --> 00:27:24,811 When the 9 MOVE members were convicted of third degree murder and sentenced to 30 to 100 years a piece, 310 00:27:24,812 --> 00:27:31,522 several days after that, judge Edwin Malmed, was a guest on a local talk station. 311 00:27:31,523 --> 00:27:39,407 He was asked by a caller, "Who killed James Ramp?" Malmeds response was, "I have absolutely no idea". 312 00:27:39,408 --> 00:27:43,576 I know what his response was, I know what the question was, because I was that caller. 313 00:27:43,577 --> 00:27:49,617 The judges comment is telling, the comment that you're referring to, has been refered too frequently, 314 00:27:49,618 --> 00:27:55,678 and I think his point was, "They didn't prove to me, that in fact anyone of those individuals 315 00:27:55,679 --> 00:27:59,000 commited the crime. So I convicted them all as a group. " 316 00:27:59,001 --> 00:28:05,278 The only way he could have done that was based on that prosecution theory of conspiracy, which is a fiction, 317 00:28:05,279 --> 00:28:08,849 I mean an absolute fiction and one that was not supported in the law. 318 00:28:08,850 --> 00:28:17,535 After arresting my sisters and brothers, city officials completely demolished MOVE headquarters. 319 00:28:17,536 --> 00:28:23,868 The scene of the crime. The place, where MOVE people are supposed to have shot this cop to death from. 320 00:28:23,869 --> 00:28:30,670 Now if you destroy that evidence, the scene of the crime, how can you then proceed 321 00:28:30,671 --> 00:28:33,010 with prosecuting somebody. 322 00:28:33,011 --> 00:28:38,430 They destroyed the whole crime scene, the entire crime scene, the house. 323 00:28:38,431 --> 00:28:44,368 The tree where they said the first bullet went into. The bullet that came out the cops... I mean everything. 324 00:28:44,369 --> 00:28:49,440 Rizzo and his people didn't want the evidence, then they knocked down the trees, 325 00:28:49,441 --> 00:28:51,888 knocked down the house, and everything, and that was unusual, 326 00:28:51,889 --> 00:28:56,494 because you should have an investigation to come in, because we were able to see the trees 327 00:28:56,495 --> 00:29:01,700 and see the bullet, the marks of bullets, you know, that ricocheted off the building. 328 00:29:01,701 --> 00:29:08,366 Essentially I think what I was witness to, was after the MOVE members were takin away, 329 00:29:08,367 --> 00:29:15,750 the buldozing, which was very astonishing to me, that they could do something like that. 330 00:29:15,751 --> 00:29:23,000 From the time, the last MOVE member got out of the house, until the time that the city 331 00:29:23,001 --> 00:29:30,100 brought a wrecking crane in, to tear the property down, because allegedly they were afraid 332 00:29:30,101 --> 00:29:35,633 that MOVE members would try to reoccupy the house. Think about that for a minute. 333 00:29:35,634 --> 00:29:40,359 The police come in, secure the scene, they could maintain guard around the house, 334 00:29:40,360 --> 00:29:45,423 but they claim, that they had to tear the house down, to make sure nobody would reocupy the house, 335 00:29:45,424 --> 00:29:49,241 because they were fearful, that later that evening, MOVE members who weren't in the house 336 00:29:49,242 --> 00:29:53,166 and their sympatizers were trying reocupy the property. Proposterous. 337 00:29:53,167 --> 00:30:01,705 All I know is there is destruction of the truth. And that was what I was witness to. 338 00:30:01,706 --> 00:30:08,255 And it broke my heart, because this neighbourhood is my life, these houses are something I have put my, 339 00:30:08,256 --> 00:30:14,172 I have risked my life, I have risked my everything to develop and to see how a house which is ireplaceble, 340 00:30:14,173 --> 00:30:17,932 which is a home, which is beautifull, which is part of our neighbourhood, 341 00:30:17,933 --> 00:30:23,441 which nobody can reproduce, be destroyed. Broke my heart. 342 00:30:23,442 --> 00:30:32,329 How do 9 people get charged with and convicted of murder, of murdering one cop with one bullet, 343 00:30:32,330 --> 00:30:40,945 you know, they can not even, and have not even identified one person, as firing a gun 344 00:30:40,946 --> 00:30:47,000 that killed policeman James Ramp, let alone nine. How do you keep 9 people in prison 345 00:30:47,001 --> 00:30:55,111 for 100 years each, for a crime, that you cant prove that anyone of the 9 did. 346 00:30:55,112 --> 00:31:01,808 After the trial of the MOVE 9 a former MOVE member claimed to government officials, 347 00:31:01,809 --> 00:31:06,204 that he had proof that MOVE members living in Rochester New York, 348 00:31:06,205 --> 00:31:10,646 were running a gun and bomb making scheme. 349 00:31:10,647 --> 00:31:18,909 A supporter named Don Glassy, he had got, he was weak for the authorities 350 00:31:18,910 --> 00:31:28,089 and what he did was, he turned like government witness, and they conjured up a lot of, 351 00:31:28,090 --> 00:31:31,561 you know, false information. 352 00:31:31,562 --> 00:31:37,137 Many MOVE members were arrested in Rochester. But only John Africa and Alfonso Africa, 353 00:31:37,138 --> 00:31:45,257 were brought up on charges. The trial called John Africa versus the system, then took place in Philadelphia. 354 00:31:45,258 --> 00:31:53,360 After numerous days of trial the jury of 12 found John Africa and Alfonzo Africa not guilty. 355 00:31:53,361 --> 00:32:05,413 John Africa woke up, wiped his eyes and he began a closing argument, that was so profound, 356 00:32:05,414 --> 00:32:16,222 so clear, and so true, that it rocked everybody in that courtroom. Jurors had tears in their eyes. 357 00:32:16,223 --> 00:32:24,841 So when they got the verdict, they read it out really triumphantly, like "Not guilty your honor". 358 00:32:24,842 --> 00:32:32,387 And it was like repeated over and over again like, "not guilty", 359 00:32:32,388 --> 00:32:43,222 like real I mean like strong, you know, a strong statement they was making. 360 00:32:43,223 --> 00:32:48,800 After the trial of the MOVE 9 and John Africa versus the system, several MOVE members 361 00:32:48,801 --> 00:32:56,180 moved to a row house on 6221 Osage Avenue in West Philadelphia. 362 00:32:56,181 --> 00:33:03,639 Here MOVE kept up their work schedule, but their main focus became the search for justice for the MOVE 9. 363 00:33:03,640 --> 00:33:09,787 By the end of 1983, government officials on all levels had proved ineffective and 364 00:33:09,788 --> 00:33:16,046 unwilling to take any action in MOVEs struggle for the MOVE 9. The media at this point 365 00:33:16,047 --> 00:33:24,863 ignored the issue all together. On December 25th 1983 MOVE ended the media blackout by seting up 366 00:33:24,864 --> 00:33:30,824 a loudspeaker on their house and urged neibours to take action for the MOVE 9. 367 00:33:30,825 --> 00:33:43,000 Events on Ossage Avenue started to mushroom. MOVEs efforts to get their members out 368 00:33:43,001 --> 00:33:50,555 became more shrill, they started with verbal harrangs of the neigbors, 369 00:33:50,556 --> 00:33:57,077 amplified harangs from the PA system that was on the roof. One of the findings of the MOVE commision 370 00:33:57,078 --> 00:34:10,965 that was impaneled after the 1985 raid, was that on December 25th 1984 MOVE was on their loudspeaker 371 00:34:10,966 --> 00:34:23,200 haranging neighbors by name for 27 hours straight. Of relevance, December 25th is Christmas. 372 00:34:23,201 --> 00:34:31,000 So these neighbors Christmas was interupted with this foolishness. The neighbors complained 373 00:34:31,001 --> 00:34:36,910 to city officials, they complained to the police, they complained to the FBI, they complained 374 00:34:36,911 --> 00:34:41,777 to the US attorneys office. Noone did anything. 375 00:34:41,778 --> 00:34:48,547 Subsequently they complained to the governor of the state, governor Thornberg, he initially did nothing. 376 00:34:48,548 --> 00:34:53,620 Then the neighbors said, "well look, if you wont take care of them, couple of us vietnam war vets, 377 00:34:53,621 --> 00:35:00,510 we will take care of this. We are not gona live in this chaos any longer". 378 00:35:00,511 --> 00:35:07,624 The governor who was republican said, "well I will come in and take care of it. We can't have citizens being vigilantes. " 379 00:35:07,625 --> 00:35:11,306 Then it became an embarasement for the democratic mayor of the city. 380 00:35:11,307 --> 00:35:17,166 So he decided that he was going to take action. This is then Wilson Goode. 381 00:35:17,167 --> 00:35:22,800 Neighbors of MOVE complained about MOVE talking on a loudspeaker at all hours of the day 382 00:35:22,801 --> 00:35:28,910 and using profanity. Some neighbors also complained of foul smells coming from MOVE headquarters 383 00:35:28,911 --> 00:35:32,000 and stray animals under the care of MOVE. 384 00:35:32,001 --> 00:35:37,753 The fact is, if every neighbor on the block, you know, complained about MOVE. 385 00:35:37,754 --> 00:35:42,888 Since when did this government care about black people complaining about their neighbors. 386 00:35:42,889 --> 00:35:48,000 Since when. When did the FBI start getting involved in neighbourhood disputes. 387 00:35:48,001 --> 00:35:53,175 Aware that the city would indeed try to silence MOVEs protest, MOVE began fortifying their house 388 00:35:53,176 --> 00:35:58,864 in preparation for another confrontation, like the one on August 8th 1978. 389 00:35:58,865 --> 00:36:05,173 On May 11th 1985 judge Lynn Abraham signed arrest warrants for Ramona, Conrad, Frank 390 00:36:05,174 --> 00:36:11,577 and Teresa Africa on charges of disorderly conduct and terorist threats. 391 00:36:11,578 --> 00:36:17,933 Wilson Goode said, "take care of this. But there is only two things that I want done. Number one. 392 00:36:17,934 --> 00:36:26,150 I don't want any police officers who were involved intimately in the 1978 shootout, 393 00:36:26,151 --> 00:36:32,869 involved in this, and I don't want any of the MOVE kids in the house." 394 00:36:32,870 --> 00:36:38,920 I talked to at that time - now you have mayor Goode. Rizzo is gone, and you have mayor Goode. 395 00:36:38,921 --> 00:36:46,155 And I talked to him about the possibility of going in to see if there is any way 396 00:36:46,156 --> 00:36:58,000 if we could not have this repeat of the 78. And he said, "no, we got it under control". It's alright. 397 00:36:58,001 --> 00:37:08,000 On Monday May 13th 1985, police and fireman launched a full scale military attack on the MOVE row house. 398 00:37:08,001 --> 00:37:19,454 In a 90 minute period, the police department of Philadelphia fired 10000 rounds of ammunition. 399 00:37:19,455 --> 00:37:30,000 Of all types of weapontry, from 38 caliber revolvers, all the way up to M60 machine guns, 400 00:37:30,001 --> 00:37:38,600 which were big 30 caliber military machine guns. They had an anti-tank gun, they didn't use it. 401 00:37:38,601 --> 00:37:45,561 M16s, sniper rifles. Why would they have sniper rifles? 402 00:37:45,562 --> 00:37:54,800 Why would they have telescopic sniper rifles with silencers on them. The explenation that was subsequently 403 00:37:54,801 --> 00:38:03,000 given to the public was "we have sniper rifles, because we want to silently shoot out the street lights". 404 00:38:03,001 --> 00:38:09,344 So it would be a dark scene. Well you might have a silenced bullet hiting the light, 405 00:38:09,345 --> 00:38:15,232 but it would break, and the glass would break in the street, so it would be noise. What are you doin'. 406 00:38:15,233 --> 00:38:20,000 Well, there may be a reason for that. I'll get to that in a minute. 407 00:38:20,001 --> 00:38:24,490 During the police attack on the MOVE household, the police flooded the area with teargas. 408 00:38:24,491 --> 00:38:29,700 And shot over 10000 rounds of amunition into MOVE's house, when these tactics failed 409 00:38:29,701 --> 00:38:35,187 to bring MOVE out of their house, a helicopter was brought in. Which droped a bomb on the MOVE house. 410 00:38:35,188 --> 00:38:41,000 The bomb started a fire. Which ended up burning 60 houses to the ground. 411 00:38:41,001 --> 00:38:47,836 We just reported that police commisioner Gregore Sambor said that he ordered the so-called concussion bomb, 412 00:38:47,837 --> 00:38:54,933 to secure the building. Could you explain exactly what that means and what Sambor intended to do. 413 00:38:54,934 --> 00:38:56,687 What is that word secure mean exactly. 414 00:38:56,688 --> 00:39:01,492 Well I think that you would probably have to ask him that question to get a full explanation. 415 00:39:01,493 --> 00:39:07,130 My understanding about what he wanted to do was to remove the bunker from the top of the house. 416 00:39:07,131 --> 00:39:11,734 It was a tremendous amount of concern, that the bunker was constructed in a way, 417 00:39:11,735 --> 00:39:17,532 that would prevent the officers from entering the building, because it was always a possibility 418 00:39:17,533 --> 00:39:24,375 of someone hiding out in there and shooting. So there was an attempt all day long, first with water, 419 00:39:24,376 --> 00:39:29,054 then with other objects to try and remove the bunker, 420 00:39:29,055 --> 00:39:36,211 and apparently the decision was made, to try and explode it off in some way. 421 00:39:36,212 --> 00:39:44,000 Now the reason given for droping this bomb on top of the house, was to neutralize the bunker. 422 00:39:44,001 --> 00:39:55,099 Because they wanted to... They had allowed MOVE to build a bunker, a peel box, a reinforced shooting tower, 423 00:39:55,100 --> 00:40:02,399 I mean shooting compartment on the top of their roof. So the plan, and this is where I tell you that Greg Sambor 424 00:40:02,400 --> 00:40:11,549 is an absolute idiot, the police commisioner. His plan was to have police officers run across the roof of the row home, punch a hole in the roof 425 00:40:11,550 --> 00:40:17,177 and then dump teargas down in the roof. Now I just told you a minute ago, during the morning raid, 426 00:40:17,178 --> 00:40:22,638 they blew the whole front of the house off. So they could have went to the other side of the street 427 00:40:22,639 --> 00:40:28,489 with teargas granade guns and shot all the teargas they wanted right into the front of the house. 428 00:40:28,490 --> 00:40:36,129 See so, the explanations and the common sense conclusion makes no sense. 429 00:40:36,130 --> 00:40:41,131 So what makes more sense is, that they wanted to drop a bomb on that house. 430 00:40:41,132 --> 00:40:47,010 And hurt those folks. Including the kids in the house. That they knew were in the house. 431 00:40:47,011 --> 00:40:54,971 But the police commisioner says, "I consider them combatants." And not hostages of their parents. 432 00:40:54,972 --> 00:41:02,066 Once again, would a white police commisioner have considered white children as combatants? 433 00:41:02,067 --> 00:41:08,260 I would argue strenuously, that would never hapen. 434 00:41:08,261 --> 00:41:11,666 But it happened here, because they were black kids. 435 00:41:11,667 --> 00:41:17,820 So they droped a bomb, to neutralize the bunker and hopefully to blow a hole in the roof. 436 00:41:17,821 --> 00:41:24,593 Now they also knew from their arial surveilance that there was a 5 gallon gas can on the roof. 437 00:41:24,594 --> 00:41:29,400 The bomb drops, it blows up, it lights up the gas can. 438 00:41:29,401 --> 00:41:33,170 So now we have a fire going on the roof. 439 00:41:33,171 --> 00:41:38,222 The police commisioner makes a tactical decision to let the fire burn. 440 00:41:38,223 --> 00:41:44,730 I am refering to 1985, I was talking to a woman, who actually I won't identify, but who as a life-long Philadelphian. 441 00:41:44,731 --> 00:41:51,096 And once a friend of mine at that time, that period. And I said that the houses 442 00:41:51,097 --> 00:42:00,111 on Ossage Street are on fire, I just found out. And she said, "Good. " 443 00:42:00,112 --> 00:42:05,400 So. There is a lot of racial hatried in this city, in this country, 444 00:42:05,401 --> 00:42:11,632 that we have never adressed. It's the sin of America. 445 00:42:11,633 --> 00:42:16,666 We had a bomb droped on us, we had thousands of rounds of bullets, 446 00:42:16,667 --> 00:42:22,680 10000 rounds of bullets fired on us, we were deluged with water, 447 00:42:22,681 --> 00:42:28,888 we were teargased, the bomb ignited a fire that the fire department stood there 448 00:42:28,889 --> 00:42:39,469 and refused to put out, after puting water on our house for hours, all that morning. 449 00:42:39,470 --> 00:42:41,511 And all of that. And we are violent. 450 00:42:41,512 --> 00:42:44,444 Could you tell us anything more than we already know about the number of casualties, 451 00:42:44,445 --> 00:42:48,434 the number of people who are still at large with guns, what is the latest status on this. 452 00:42:48,435 --> 00:42:53,045 We don't have any indication, that anyone lost their life. 453 00:42:53,046 --> 00:42:58,672 That does not mean that we did not in fact end up in lost of life, 454 00:42:58,673 --> 00:43:01,175 but I don't know of anyone at this point. 455 00:43:01,176 --> 00:43:04,141 Fire experts that were hired by the MOVE commision said, that temperatures 456 00:43:04,142 --> 00:43:13,354 in the house reached 2000 degrees. You melt steel at 2000 degrees, you know, in a steel mill. 457 00:43:13,355 --> 00:43:23,697 Some MOVE members tried to escape. They were driven back into the house by police gun fire. 458 00:43:23,698 --> 00:43:32,851 So maybe thats what the silenced sniper rifles, you know sniper rifles with silencers on them were for. 459 00:43:32,852 --> 00:43:38,290 The police claimed that they never shot anybody, that they never drove anybody back in, 460 00:43:38,291 --> 00:43:41,000 and a couple of police officers broke ranks, and said that they did, 461 00:43:41,001 --> 00:43:45,109 they were driven out of the police department. Civilian witneses said that they did, 462 00:43:45,110 --> 00:43:50,919 they were ignored. The lone surviving MOVE member Ramona Africa said, 463 00:43:50,920 --> 00:43:56,234 that they were shot at, as well as the kid, but they were dismissed. 464 00:43:56,235 --> 00:44:02,800 The medical examiner found in the chared bones that they pulled out of the MOVE house, 465 00:44:02,801 --> 00:44:11,490 a twelve gauge buck shot, from police shotguns. Now if MOVE members were inside the house, 466 00:44:11,491 --> 00:44:15,472 they could never have been shot with buck shot. 467 00:44:15,473 --> 00:44:19,851 Some people came out of the house, were shot, and went back into the house. 468 00:44:19,852 --> 00:44:24,183 And were subsequently burn up. And the fire went out of control. 469 00:44:24,184 --> 00:44:31,355 By the time they decided to start fighting the fire, the whole block was consumed within hours. 470 00:44:31,356 --> 00:44:34,146 61 homes were totaly destroyed. 471 00:44:34,147 --> 00:44:39,111 11 people in the MOVE house were killed, including 5 children. 472 00:44:39,112 --> 00:44:43,652 And that's how May 13th 1985 ended. 473 00:44:43,653 --> 00:44:53,348 In a holocaust, in a catastrophy. And not a single police officer, police department official, 474 00:44:53,349 --> 00:45:02,699 fire department official or city official ever faced criminal charges for that. 475 00:45:02,700 --> 00:45:09,300 A bolt action rifle, two shot guns and two revolvers were the only weapons found in the ashes of the MOVE house. 476 00:45:09,301 --> 00:45:11,671 You know, they murdered our children, you know. 477 00:45:11,672 --> 00:45:16,125 Janine and Phill had two sons that was murdered, Consola had two daughters that was murdered, 478 00:45:16,126 --> 00:45:18,555 Janet and Delbert had two daughters that was murdered. 479 00:45:18,556 --> 00:45:20,001 You know, Sue had her son murdered. 480 00:45:20,002 --> 00:45:24,158 Because of May 13th 1985, I mean this city was exposed terribly. 481 00:45:24,159 --> 00:45:26,727 I mean how much more brutal can you get. 482 00:45:26,728 --> 00:45:30,676 Than having it in the newspaper, which is where I read about my sons death, 483 00:45:30,677 --> 00:45:35,671 that a police officer saw a pair of blue eyes staring up at him. 484 00:45:35,672 --> 00:45:43,213 I mean they deliberately, deliberately set our kids on fire, you know, ablaze, 485 00:45:43,214 --> 00:45:47,333 burned them alive, gave them no avenue of escape, 486 00:45:47,334 --> 00:45:52,000 and when they tried to escape, shot them down. 487 00:47:15,255 --> 00:47:20,084 After the bombing Ramona Afrika was sentenced to 7 years for conspiracy to riot. 488 00:47:20,085 --> 00:47:23,680 At Ramonas trial luitenant Frank Powel, who droped the bomb, 489 00:47:23,681 --> 00:47:29,557 and officer William Klein who assembled it, pleaded the fifth. 490 00:47:35,100 --> 00:47:40,000 Many investigations were done on the May 13th 1985 bombing of MOVE, 491 00:47:40,001 --> 00:47:42,353 but no indictments were ever made. 492 00:47:42,354 --> 00:47:46,657 Before the incident was swept under the rug of Philadelphias history forever, 493 00:47:46,658 --> 00:47:49,315 Ramona Africa filed a civil suit against the city 494 00:47:49,316 --> 00:47:55,683 and MOVE ended up receiving some compensation for the May 13th catastrophy. 495 00:47:55,684 --> 00:48:03,450 On March 13th 1998 MOVE was devastated to find, that their sister Merle Africa had died 496 00:48:03,451 --> 00:48:09,233 at the state corectional institution in Cambridge Springs, Pensilvania. 497 00:48:09,234 --> 00:48:14,177 The death came as a shock to MOVE, because the last they knew, Merle was in good health. 498 00:48:14,178 --> 00:48:21,765 MOVE feels to this day, that the death of Merle Africa is very suspicious. 499 00:48:38,900 --> 00:48:47,000 MOVEs major focus these days is finding justice for the MOVE 9, and MOVE supporter Mumia Abu-Jamal. 500 00:48:47,001 --> 00:48:52,000 Who are all currently incarcerated in the Pennsylvania prison system. 501 00:48:52,001 --> 00:48:54,455 Your name sir is... - Mike Africa from the MOVE organization. 502 00:48:54,456 --> 00:48:58,222 I wana point out. I got 9 MOVE people sittin' in prison right now, 503 00:48:58,223 --> 00:49:02,572 doin' 30 to a 100 years for a crime they didn't commit, including my mother and my father. 504 00:49:02,573 --> 00:49:07,284 We got serious work to do. We're not out here talking just to be talking. We're putting out information. 505 00:49:07,285 --> 00:49:10,100 What's the protest originaly about. What are you protesting for. 506 00:49:10,101 --> 00:49:14,500 For the release of my mother and my father, and Mumia Abu-Jamal, and Leonard Peltier, 507 00:49:14,501 --> 00:49:18,501 and Russell Shoats and all the rest of the political prisoners. 508 00:50:40,980 --> 00:50:46,370 Over the past 25 years numerous appeals have been filed for the MOVE 9. 509 00:50:46,371 --> 00:50:50,268 All appeals have been DENIED. 510 00:50:51,130 --> 00:50:54,789 At the last appeal, Paul Hetznecker requested to view video tapes that were 511 00:50:54,790 --> 00:50:57,689 shown at the original trial of the MOVE 9. 512 00:50:57,690 --> 00:51:03,868 The commonwealth claimed that the tapes could not be found. 513 00:51:03,869 --> 00:51:07,222 These tapes are considered the most valuable pieces 514 00:51:07,223 --> 00:51:10,600 of evidence remaining from the August 8th 1978 confrontation. 515 00:51:10,601 --> 00:51:14,615 It was probably one of the most important prosecution in this citys history, 516 00:51:14,616 --> 00:51:19,791 so I find it a litle strange, that the tapes are missing and are not available to the commonwealth, 517 00:51:19,792 --> 00:51:26,339 not in some archives somewhere I didn't find them. Its hard to explain. 518 00:51:28,145 --> 00:51:32,340 During production of this film various Philadelphia officials were contacted to comment on the numerous 519 00:51:32,341 --> 00:51:36,400 disputes between MOVE and the city of Philadelphia 520 00:51:36,401 --> 00:51:42,584 All refused to comment. 521 00:51:45,455 --> 00:51:49,025 Postscript on this whole sad scenario and ordeal. 522 00:51:49,026 --> 00:51:52,833 The police department knows who killed officer Ramp, 523 00:51:52,834 --> 00:51:57,366 it was another police officer who inadvertently shot. 524 00:51:57,367 --> 00:52:04,649 They have fairly substantial evidence that it was a mistake, but again, they'll never admit to this. 525 00:52:04,650 --> 00:52:12,264 I got this from a number of different sources in the police department, including sources 526 00:52:12,265 --> 00:52:17,324 on the SWAT team and sources in the balistics. 527 00:52:23,000 --> 00:52:27,000 . 528 00:52:27,001 --> 00:52:31,700 . 529 00:52:31,701 --> 00:52:37,333 . 530 00:52:40,199 --> 00:55:05,241 Subtitles:) wafpress@wildmail.com